Stepping Out
by luverofthings
Summary: After the season 8 finale, Bones has an event to go to. How does that go over?


Dr. Temperance Brennan fastened her earrings as she descended the stairs, the sounds of giggles from Christine and whoops and hollers from Seely Booth and Lance Sweets filling the air. She had an event she was attending and wanted to have a good time, so she had asked Booth to watch Christine well she went out.

She heard a whistle, and she turned her head to look at the men, who were now staring at her.

"Damn Bones, you look gorgeous," Booth said with a slight awe in his voice. Since he had ended their engagement because of that bastard Pelant, he wasn't sure what he was and wasn't allowed to say to her. Obviously that wasn't one of them from the icy glare he got.

The distance she had put between the two of them almost killed him. She didn't sleep in the same room as he did anymore. She had even stopped looking for suspects with him. She compartmentalized her job and their lives so much now that he couldn't even flirt in their previous banter anymore. They talked about Christine, but other than that she barely allowed any other conversation. Every barrier that he had broken down, went right back up.

When she told him about the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists opening night and ceremonies event she had been invited to, he immediately offered to take her, but she brushed him off quickly saying she was fine going by herself. He knew not to push her yet. He was amazed that she hadn't kicked him out yet, telling him that it was completely over, and that they could make arrangements for him to see his daughter. The thought and the fear of that happening cut him so deep, that sometimes he found himself short of breath. Almost the same feeling that washed over him when he and Rebecca broke up, and they made arrangements for him to see Parker. Not being able to see Parker all the time cut his heart open, but not being able to see either of his kids whenever he wanted would rip his soul out.

He and Bones, the woman who owned his heart and had for a very long time, hadn't gotten to the point of total breakup yet. And he would be damned if he would let Pelant take his family from him again.

"You do look beautiful, Dr. Brennan," Sweets agreed.

"Thank you Dr. Sweets," she replied graciously. Booth frowned, glaring at Sweets.

Glancing at her watch, she smiled when she heard the knock on the door. Opening it, she smiled at the geekishly handsome in front of her, "As always, right on time."

"I've never been late for anything," he said proudly, "You look lovely tonight Temperance."

"Thank you, shall we go?" He nodded his head in agreement, stepping back a bit to let her pass.

"Wait just one damn minute! Who the hell are you?" asked Booth, who was already up and moving just after he heard the knock. He was not happy AT ALL, to see another man at his front door, getting ready to take HIS girlfriend out.

Startled by the burly man, he held out his hand shakily, "Dr. Richard Head and you are?" Some of his colleagues at the Jeffersonian had told him the Dr. Brennan was now in a relationship, but she assured him that wouldn't be an issue.

"Sweets, take Temperance's and MY daughter upstairs please," Booth said as calmly as he could, as he slowly advanced on the man. He didn't really want to go to jail for assault, but if this prick thought he was going anywhere with Bones, then there would defiantly be a problem.

"Agent Booth, I don't think this is the best course of action," Sweets warned._ Oh crap…._

"Now!" he said more firmly, as Sweets took Christine upstairs, whimpering as she felt the tension rise.

Dr. Head looked like he was about to faint, as Bones stepped in front of him.

"Move Bones," Booth said as calmly as his anger would let him, "I haven't introduced myself to your _friend_ yet." He should be mad at her, he knew that, but she was hurt, and it was his fault. _Fucking Pelant…_

"That won't be necessary," she said in that eerily calm voice she had, "You have no right Booth. You're the one who dissolved our engagement, correct?" she taunted him, bright blue eyes blazing.

Growling deep in his throat, he moved around her, advancing on her friend, "FBI Special Agent Seely Booth, Dr. Brennan's boyfriend, father of her child, owner of this house. My gorgeously, brilliant girlfriend here has been a little bit upset with me lately over personal issues, and it appears that she is trying to get back at me or make me jealous by using you. I can tell you're a smart guy and that you really don't want to be in the cross fire, so I suggest you leave before I get really pissed off, Dick Head," Booth says in an eerily calm voice.

As one would assume, he scurried out of there as fast as his scrawny legs could take him.

Bones was never good at processing emotion well, until she met Booth and became familiar and friendly with the other 'squints'. She was so confused by how he'd been acting lately, wanting desperately to marry her, then when they finally do agree to it, he calls it off. He doesn't move out of their house, he still tells her he loves her, he tries to make love to her, still tries jokes around with her, acting like everything was normal. It didn't make any sense, how he could crumble all the walls and barriers she built up, let her feel the most powerful love that she could ever imagine existed, then shatter her heart, and soul into a million tiny pieces.

So she felt the things her heart and mind would let her feel, hurt and angry. Then of its own accord, her arm drew back, then released like a tightly coiled spring, hitting Booth right in the nose.

Caught off guard, he fell on his back on the floor, "What the hell?" he gasped out, covering his now sore nose.

Then she was on him, wailing on his chest, crying and hitting, "I hate you, you bastard. How could you let me love you, and then destroy it all? Destroy me, us, our lives, our love? Why are you still even here? If you don't want me get out!" She rambled, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh, Bones, baby, please calm down… shhhhhh" he soothed, pulling her to him against her wailing arms.

She finally relented, falling on his chest exhausted from the exertion.

He continued shhh-ing her, stroking her back to calm her down.

"I don't understand, Booth? Did I do something incorrectly? Don't you love me anymore?" she asked in the smallest, most defeated voice he ever heard come out of her.

Choking back a sob of his own, he swallowed the lump in his throat, "Jesus Christ, baby I love you so god damned much it physically hurts my heart some days," he assured, stroking her hair, kissing the top of her head, and hugging her as close to himself as he could.

"Why don't you want to be my husband now?" she asked softly.

He thought about it for a minute, thinking about Pelant, that sick bastard. He looked around at the Wi-Fi devices in their home, knowing he was already probably getting a good laugh at their expense. Laughing at the awkward, brilliant, beautiful creature in his arms, who loved him even if she was way out of his league, who thought he no longer wanted or loved her, which was completely not true. At the beautiful miracle they had created long before they even knew this psycho existed, whose parents loved each other desperately, but couldn't commit to each other because of him. They were all just puppets in his little pathetic life, but his beautiful brilliant anthropologist was smarter than Pelant was, and one day very soon, Pelant will himself be a puppet in someone's game of life, the squint squad would make sure of it.

Tilting his head to look at the wireless camera mounted on the TV, he smiled his cocky Booth smile and mouthed, "Fuck you, Pelant," and told the love of his life everything.


End file.
